dark academia en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Etymology
Reportedly first emerged as an aesthetic tag on Tumblr in the mid-2010s.
Meanings
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(Internet, uncountable) An aesthetic popularized in the 2010s, centered on higher education, writing, the arts, and classic Greek and Gothic architecture, as well as romantic longing and death.
I thought that dark academia and brownstone mansions were all that Boston had to offer, or at least, it didn’t occur to me to even consider what might be beyond my idealistic vision.
2021, Caitlin Haviland, "Breaking the BU Bubble", The Buzz (Boston University), Fall 2021, page 67As a recent example of the ‘dark academia’ trend in literature, the novel effectively examines and subverts the romanticised view of so-called ‘prestigious’ universities.
2023, Rebecca van Besouw, "Literature Spotlight: Babel by RF Kuang", PDBY (University of Pretoria), 8 May 2023, page 11Dark Academia has received valid criticism for its Eurocentrism and elitism.
2021, Jacqueline Kipping, "Dark academia", The Issue (Radboud University), Fall 2021, page 21
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Academia | alternative | lexicographic |